


Dressing in the Dark

by Araloth



Category: 9-1-1: Lone Star (TV 2020)
Genre: Cute, Embarrassed TK Strand, Fire Family, Found Family, Funny, Goofy - Freeform, M/M, Post Episdoe 1x04, Power Outage, Proud Carlos Reyes, Team as Family, Teasing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-07
Updated: 2020-02-07
Packaged: 2021-02-28 02:08:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,098
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22596064
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Araloth/pseuds/Araloth
Summary: TK heads over to Carlos's place after his shift ends to find the power is still out after the tornado. TK stays the night, and when the team sees him the next morning they make some observations.
Relationships: Carlos Reyes (9-1-1 Lone Star)/TK Strand
Comments: 23
Kudos: 691





	Dressing in the Dark

"Carlos?" TK stumbled in through Carlos' front door. It was unlocked as he'd expected, but something was blocking part of the door, and the lights in the front room were all off.

"In here," Carlos called out back from his bedroom. "Careful coming back. Hang on- I'll meet you out there…"

TK waited for a beat, and a minute later a flickering light made it's way around the corner, the vague outline of Carlos behind it.

Carlos lifted the candle higher so the firelight hit his face, and offered TK a small smile. "Sorry. The power's still out."

“I saw them working on some of the lines when drove in…” TK frowned. “You don’t have a generator or anything?”

“Nah.” Carlos shrugged. “Candles and flashlights will work fine for now.” Carlos passed a flashlight over to TK, and TK flicked it on, looking around the room. Everything looked to be mostly intact.

“Everything okay?” TK asked.

"Yeah, it'll be fine." Carlos smiled. "The tornados never really touched down here they just passed by. Wind rattled some pictures off the wall so I had to sweep up a little broken glass earlier. I think I got it all but just be careful where you step."

TK nodded. “They give you any idea when they’ll have your power back on?”

“Just soon they hope.” Carlos shrugged. “I don’t mind it. A lot of people got off worse. If I just have to replace a few picture frames and restock my freezer I’ll take it.”

TK grinned. “Did all your ice cream melt?”

“Yeah.” Carlos laughed. “I ate some of it, but there was way too much in there for me to get through alone.”

“Oh if only I’d known I would have come over during my shift.” TK sauntered forward. “I think helping you eat ice cream might count as an emergency. Especially helping clean you off as it melted… maybe licking it…”

“Yeah?” Carlos snorted. “How silly of me. Next time it happens I’ll be sure to call.” TK have him a playful shove, and Carlos smiled. “Seriously though, I’m good. It was sweet of you to stop by, but I know you have another shift in the morning…”

“Hey, I’m good.” TK pulled his phone out of his pocket. “I can set an alarm on my phone and I still have a full battery. I'll just recharge it when I get into work tomorrow.

Carlos smiled but hesitated still. "You sure?"

“Of course.” TK grinned wider. “Besides your using an open flame-“ TK nodded to Carlos’s little candle. “Might be important to keep a trained firefighter close by.”

Carlos set the candle down on a table and pulled TK towards him by his belt loops. "Oh, I'll keep you close…"

***

TK walked into the firehouse the next morning with a spring in his step. He’d had a great night with Carlos, and even with the added hassle of having to get dressed in the dark, TK was early getting in. Mateo and Marjan were already upstairs, and TK nodded to them both.

“Hey TK.” Mateo was all smiles.

“Probie.” TK grinned back. “How are things-“

"Oh, my-" Marjan. "Guess you had a pretty good time last night huh TK?"

TK frowned. “What are you-“

Marjan gestured to the side of his neck. "That's the biggest hickey I've seen in a while."

"What?" TK craned his neck trying to see it but had no luck. Meanwhile, of course, Mateo was blushing, and Marjan was practically cackling with laughter.

“It's not a hickey!" TK grumbled. "I just- must have bruised myself yesterday on shift. Probably just took a little bit to show up that’s all…”

“Mm.” Marjan giggled. “I’m sure. Do you have strange bruises on any other parts of your body? Because if so you should really get that looked. Maybe, say by a certain police officer we all know…”

TK grabbed a pencil off the table and chucked it at her, but that only made Marjan laugh harder.

“What’s so funny?” Judd was making his way up the stairs, a big cup of coffee in his hands.

"TK is trying to argue his very obvious hickey is just a bruise," Marjan explained.

“Because it is!” TK grumbled.

“Let me see it-“ Judd looked at TK’s neck appraisingly.

“It’s just a bruise right?” TK said stubbornly.

“Well sure.” Judd smiled. “I supposed it could be.”

TK smiled. “ _Thank_ you. See Marjan-“

Judd grinned and took a big drink of his coffee. "Awfully weird place for a bruise though."

TK glared at him and slapped a hand over his neck.

"Oh, this is getting us nowhere-" Marjan glanced over the railing and grinned. "Paul! Hey, Paul get up here. We need a ruling!"

Paul jogged up the steps to join the others. “What’s up?”

Marjan peeled TK's hand away from his neck to show Paul. "Is that a hickey or a bruise?"

"Oh, that's definitely a hickey." Paul laughed and gave TK a quick once over. "TK also doesn't look like he shaved today either-" TK ran his hand over his chin and felt just the smallest trace of stubble. Paul grinned. “-and while those aren’t the same clothes he had on yesterday you can see fold lines in them, so he probably had them stashed in a bag in his car. So I’d say our boy TK here stayed over at Carlos’ last night. Probably didn’t see his neck this morning because the power was still out.”

Marjan offered her hand up to Paul in a hi-five. “Thank you.”

Of course everything Paul had said was right, not that TK would ever confirm it. He’d pulled some clean clothes out of his gym bag specifically to try and avoid having this conversation. TK groaned. “I hate you all…”

"Aww, that's sweet." Judd slung one arm around TK's shoulders and set his coffee down so he could ruffle TK's hair with his other hand, much to TK's chagrin. "We love you too."

Thank god his dad wasn’t in yet, that was about the only way TK could imagine things being worse. There were just some conversations TK didn’t need to have with his dad-especially more than once.

TK just shook his head. And of course, when TK finally filled Carlos in after his shift, Carlos had the audacity to just sit there on his couch looking rather pleased with himself. If he didn’t look so cute TK probably would have been offended. But as it was, TK just smiled and started planning. After all, turn about was fair play right?


End file.
